‘TO GOD AND TO THE WORD’

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on June 21, 2023 under AM Bible Study |

AM Bible Study Group: June 21, 2023 from Acts 20:17-38

Theme: Paul’s farewell speech illustrates what it means to have a wholehearted commitment to the cause of the gospel.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

Click HERE for the live-stream archive of this Bible Study.

Click HERE for the audio version of this Bible Study.

We come to a very remarkable passage in the Book of Acts. It’s Paul’s farewell speech to a group of pastors in Acts 20:17-38.

‘Farewell speeches’ are important. They often serve as an opportunity to summarize a person’s key priorities. And that is very true of this speech from the apostle Paul. As we read through it, see if you can notice what Paul identifies as his main concerns:

From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

“And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

“So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship (Acts 20:17-38).

Clearly, Paul’s great motivation was to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. He knew that he had been commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to preach it; and he was devoted to fulfilling that commission even if it cost him his life. He wanted very much to protect the gospel that he preached; and so, he was very careful to live with integrity … and not give anyone any reason to speak against the gospel or the fruit it bore in the lives of others. He urged these pastors to do what they could to protect the gains of the gospel; and to be on the alert against anyone who might bring harm to the assembly of those who believed. But he was also confident in the power of God to protect His people; and the power of the word of God to sanctify them and build up their faith.

You and I do not have the same calling that Paul had. He was very unique. But we are given the same gospel to preach that He was given. We are under the care of the same sovereign God; and we have the same holy scriptures that build us up and prepare us for eternal glory. And so; it’s very much worth our while to study Paul’s farewell speech and learn from it. It illustrates what it means to have a wholehearted commitment to the gospel of Jesus—the very gospel that has been entrusted to us and that saves our souls.

* * * * * * * * * *

Let’s begin by considering the context. In Acts 20:1-16, we were told the story of Paul’s journey from Ephesus up to Greece, into Macedonia, and then across the sea to Asia Minor and down again toward Ephesus. We were told in verses 15-16, however, that Paul didn’t go directly to Ephesus, but rather to a port city south of Ephesus called Miletus. It says;

For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost (v. 16).

That, then, is the setting for this ‘farewell speech’. Paul was in a hurry to make his way to Jerusalem; but he didn’t want to miss a final opportunity to speak to the pastors from Ephesus—and perhaps to many other pastors in the region of Asia Minor. In the Bible, ‘elder’ (or ‘presbyter’, ‘bishop’ (or ‘overseer’), and ‘pastor’ (or ‘shepherd’) are all names for the same office of service and leadership in the church. And so; as the story of this ‘farewell speech’ begins in verse 17, we read, “From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church.”

Imagine what an emotional time it must have been. Perhaps all of the pastors gathered together at the shore as Paul waited to board the ship heading to Syria. They had grown to love the apostle Paul; and he had grown to love them and the churches that they served. It was a time of getting to basics. And that’s what he did.

Notice first how he described to them …

1. HIS CONDUCT IN THE MINISTRY (vv. 18-21).

We’re told that when they came to him (v. 18), he told them,

“You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you …” (v. 18).

It takes a brave Christian leader to be able to say a thing like that. Sadly, many leaders would have said something like that, only to have the people who really knew him to scoff at what he said. Paul, however, had lived in such a way as to not be embarrassed to say such a thing. He even testified to how he lived:

“serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews …” (v. 19).

Paul had commended his ministry through his conduct in it. He didn’t carry himself proudly or arrogantly among God’s people. He wept as he served and pleaded with them. And he bore up in ministry and didn’t quit—even when he suffered terrible persecution for it. He was able to testify, also, that he labored hard among the believers in Ephesus. He spoke of

“how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house” (v. 20).

Paul not only preached publicly; he also made house calls. He labored hard to make sure that everyone could hear the message that God had given to him to give to them. And what was the content of it? He went around

“testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 21).

It’s interesting that Paul didn’t have to tell these Ephesian pastors about this and then try to prove that it actually happened. He said that they knew all of this about him from the first day that he came to them. His conduct in ministry had clearly validated his message. It’s like he wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:3-10;

We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things (2 Corinthians 6:3-10).

It’s true that we don’t have the same calling as Paul did. But we do have the same gospel that he preached. Let’s, like him, live so carefully that we validate the truth and authority of that precious message to others!

Now; obviously, this calling cost Paul dearly. But notice what he went on to say about …

2. HIS COMMITMENT TO THE CALLING (vv. 22-24).

The reason he was meeting with these pastors in Miletus was because he was going to Jerusalem. Jerusalem was a dangerous place for him to go. But he felt compelled. In verses 22-23, we read;

“And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me” (v. 22-23).

Some Bible teachers have thought that Paul was making a mistake—that it wasn’t God’s will for him to go to Jerusalem. They even look ahead to Chapter 21; where we read of how the prophet Agabus came, bound Paul with his own belt, and said, “So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles” (21:11). The people of God began to plead with Paul not to go; but he told them; “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (v. 13).

Apparently, the warnings from the Holy Spirit were meant to inform Paul of what awaited him—but were not an indication that he should not go. His great concern was to finish the task that the Lord had given him. In verse 24, he told the Ephesian pastors,

“But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (v. 24).

Again, we may not have received the same exact call as Paul received. But we did receive a ‘great commission’ from our Lord to declare Him to the world. Let’s, like Paul, be committed to fulfilling our calling … and ‘finish our race’ even though it costs all we have. It will all be worth it when we hear our Lord say, “Well done!”

Now; Paul would not want to give his all to finish the race for Christ only to have others drop the baton after he handed it to them. So, notice how he then declares …

3. HIS CONCERN FOR THE CHURCH (vv. 25-31).

He was leaving; and he would no longer be present to minister to the body of Christ personally in Asia. He knew that suffering awaited him in Jerusalem; and that he would not be coming back. And so, he told these pastors;

“And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God” (v. 25-27).

Paul was most likely thinking of what God told the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 3:17-21;

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

“Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul” (Ezekiel 3:17-21).

It’s a very serious responsibility that God places upon a preacher of His gospel! And yet, Paul was confident that he had held nothing back—and that he would not be found guilty of the blood of anyone. And now, he was passing on the responsibility to these pastors:

“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (v. 28).

The church was that assembly of God’s people that He redeemed at an immeasurably high cost. Notice that Paul said that God purchased this precious flock “with His own blood”. But how could God—who is spirit—shed His own blood? Literally, Paul said that God purchased it “through the blood of His own”. The phrase “of His own” is probably best understood as a reference to Jesus—God’s own precious Son; “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son …” (John 3:16).

Just think of how precious a thing the church is! Think of how much it cost God the Father … and Jesus His Son! And the threats against the church were very real. Paul urged these pastors to take heed to themselves and guard the precious flock of God …

“For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears” (vv. 29-31).

It didn’t take long for this to happen in history. The Lord Jesus, in His letter to the Ephesian church in Revelation 2:1-7, spoke of how the church could not bear those who were evil; and the believers tested those who said that they were ‘apostles’ and found them to be false; and how they even hated “the deeds of the Nicolatians, which I also hate”. These false teachers not only came in from the outside, but also rose up from within the church family. And so, Paul urged them to watch and be on the alert.

Again, we may not have the calling that Paul was given. But let’s seek to have his passion for the protection and well-being of the church—that precious assembly for which the Lord Jesus shed His own blood!

Now; Paul could no longer be with those pastors to help them in their ministry. But he had confidence in the help that God would provide to them. That leads us to …

4. HIS COMMENDATION TO THE PASTORS (vv. 32-35).

He told them;

“So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (v. 32).

Paul trusted God; and he also trusted the power of God’s word. God and His word have been working mightily through the church throughout the centuries. But these pastors also needed to be faithful to do the work and live the lives they should. Paul had set the example:

“I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me. I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak” (vv. 33-35a).

While he ministered in Ephesus, Paul was not ashamed to labor outside the church in order to support his ministry to the church. A great test of a pastor is whether or not he is willing to do this—not placing an undue burden on the people of God; but willing to serve even when the pay isn’t so good … or altogether absent. What’s more, Paul added that this was even taught by our Lord;

“And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (v. 35b).

We don’t have any record in the New Testament of the Lord saying these words … except, of course, for what Paul tells us here. It must have been a phrase that our Lord repeated; and it must have become so well-known that the Ephesian pastors would have heard of it and ‘remembered these words. Paul followed this example of our Lord; and he also set this example for others. He commended the Ephesian pastors to it. May we too embrace it!

What a great ‘farewell speech’. In it, Paul laid out the great priorities that motivated him in ministry. And it must be that these Ephesian pastors warmly embraced his words to them; because—at the end of it all—we see …

5. HIS CAMARADERIE WITH THE BRETHREN (vv. 36-38).

Verses 36-38 tell us;

“And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship” (vv. 36-38).

Paul was not a distant and disconnected theologian. He loved these pastors; and they loved him. What a wonderful way for Paul’s priorities and commitments to show themselves!

* * * * * * * * * *

So; we may not have the same calling as Paul. But we do have the same Savior that he declared in this ‘farewell speech’—and the same gospel—and the same kind of opportunity to serve our generation. May we have the same whole-hearted commitment to the gospel that Paul’s ‘farewell’ words illustrate to us!

AE